Finding the Best Dog Food for Boston Terriers

Like every other breed, Boston terriers have their own unique needs and predispositions, and providing a great life for your Boston terrier starts with the right diet. Today, we’ll take a closer look at everything you need to know to find the best dog food for Boston terriers.

As one of the most indisputably adorable dog breeds, Boston terriers have found their way into the hearts of every dog lover in the world. They’re easy to train, loving, and protective of their owners, which makes them one of the most popular dogs around.

Fast Facts

As the name entails, Boston terriers were first bred in Boston in the late 1800’s. While they were first referred to as round heads, bullet heads or bull terriers, they took on their official name, the Boston terrier in 1889.

The average Boston weighs in at around 20 pounds and stands 15-17 inches tall. A male Boston is usually a bit larger than that, while females tend to be a bit smaller. On average, a Boston terrier lives between 11-13 years.

Caloric Needs of the Boston Terrier

The caloric needs of a Boston tend to vary from dog to dog because each dog can be wildly different than the next. Bostons tend to take on the personalities of their humans. If you’re the active and adventurous type, you can expect your Boston to be right there with you, ready for the next adventure.

Meanwhile, if you prefer to lay around and relax in your free time, your Boston will be happy to oblige. Depending on how active your dog is, their caloric needs will vary.

More active dogs are going to require more calories, while more docile dogs will require less. This handy calorie calculator will give you a good idea of how many calories to feed your dog each day based on their ideal weight and activity level.

As a rule of thumb, an average sized Boston should consume around 660 calories per day. Puppies typically need about 430 calories per day. Based on your dog’s size and activity level, you can adjust this figure up or down to find the ideal amount of food for your pup.

At a minimum, good dog food should contain at least 18% protein and 5% fat for an adult dog. For puppies, the minimum protein should be around 22% with a fat content of about 8%.

Keep in mind these are simply benchmark suggestions. Most quality dog food manufacturers greatly exceed these suggestions with their food.

What Makes a Great Boston Terrier Food?

A Boston’s diet should consist of a healthy balance of protein, fat, complex carbohydrates and fiber. The most important elements of this balance are protein and fat. Together, these four components work together to provide your pup with everything they need from their diet.

Protein

The most important part of the puzzle is protein. While dogs have long since been domesticated, the truth is they’re still wild at heart. At the center of every dog’s healthy diet is a healthy helping of meat.

While dogs can also get protein from other sources, such as peas or lentils, meat is the preferred protein source for all dogs.

When you look at the label on dog food, pay close attention to the first few ingredients. The first three ingredients on the label should all be meat. Meat from whole sources, like beef, chicken, turkey, salmon or venison are the best. Meat meals are also a great source of protein.

Avoid products that contain meat by-products, or meat digests. This is a signal of lower quality food that you should keep your dog away from.

Fats

Fats are a key component of our dog’s food. From your pup’s perspective, fat helps to give the food it’s tasty flavor and texture. Beyond that, there are several other reasons why dogs need fat in their diet.

Fats like Omega III and Omega 6 fatty acids help to provide your pup with a healthy and lustrous coat. Fat also helps to keep their skin healthy. On the inside, fats can help protect against cardiovascular disease.

Complex Carbs

While carbs aren’t a required part of your dog’s diet, they provide your pup with a great source of energy. Often, complex carbs also provide vital vitamins, nutrients, and antioxidants to your dog’s diet.

Keep in mind that not ALL carbs are a good addition to your dog’s diet. Carbs from sources like grain (wheat, corn, soy, sugar) aren’t helpful at all. In fact, grains tend to be the most common cause of dietary issues in dogs.

On the other hand, complex carbs from sources like sweet potatoes, apples, and carrots provide your dog with the energy they need and the important vitamins and nutrients they need to thrive.

Fiber

Lastly, you’ll want to take a look at the fiber content in the food. Fiber helps to keep your dog regular and promotes digestive and gastrointestinal health.

Fiber is also a useful component of a weight management diet, as it can help your dog feel fuller longer if you’re restricting their food to help them lose weight.

Generally, the little bit of fiber included in the food is all your pup will need. Look for food with a fiber content around 4-5%, and if necessary, you can supplement their diet with additional fiber in the future.

The Unique Needs of Boston Terriers

As you may have guessed by the unique look and personality of Boston Terriers, they have some unique needs and predispositions that you can address in their diet.

Vision Problems

One area where Boston terriers are prone to problems is their eyesight. They’re predisposed to conditions like glaucoma, and cataracts. While there’s only so much you can do to prevent these ailments; you can feed your dog a diet that promotes vision health.

Ingredients like broccoli, kale, pumpkin, blueberries, eggs, garlic, and fish all contain compounds and antioxidants which help promote eye health.

Patellar Luxation

While the term patellar luxation may not ring a bell, you’ve probably heard someone talk about a dog having a “trick knee” before. Patellar luxation is a condition that most small dog breed, including Boston terriers, are prone to.

This degenerative condition allows the dog’s leg bone to pop out of its knee cap. This condition varies in severity and can become a detriment to your dog’s quality of life.

In some cases, it’s impossible to prevent this condition from occurring. But, a diet that promotes joint health is an easy way you can safeguard your dog, lessening the likelihood that they will develop patellar luxation.

Ingredients like fish oil, chondroitin, and glucosamine all help to promote joint health, and may be able to prevent your dog from developing this condition.

Brachial Issues

Dogs with stout faces like Boston terriers, bulldogs, pugs, Pekinese and more are all predisposed to brachial issues as a result of their short, “pushed in” faces. Most of these breeds suffer from breathing related issues.

Unfortunately, there isn’t much that can be done to prevent them, since the dog’s physical makeup is what causes these issues.

What you can do is always keep a watchful eye on your dog as they eat to make sure they aren’t eating so fast that they’re affecting their ability to breathe.

Best Dog Food For Boston Terriers

We’ve covered everything you’ll need to know about the nutrition requirements of Boston terriers, and discussed their special dietary needs. Now, let’s take a closer look at some of the best dog food for Boston terriers that you can find on the market.

American Journey has quickly developed a reputation as one of the best and most dog-friendly food companies on the market. Take one look at the label on a bag of American Journey dog food, and you’ll be greeted by easy to pronounce ingredients, many of which are part of your diet, as well!

This food gathers the majority of its protein from beef, chicken, and turkey. There’s also some peas and chickpeas added for a bit of extra variety. There’s also plenty of fruits and vegetables such as sweet potatoes, blueberries, kelp, and carrots.

You’ll also find a healthy dose of chondroitin and glucosamine, which promote healthy joints and may be able to shield your dog from any related joint conditions they’re predisposed to.

This grain-free dog food from Merrick is ideal for little guys with a boundless appetite for energy. It’s packed with protein and healthy fats to help your Boston perform at his best each day.

The majority of the protein in this Merrick food is beef and lamb. Peas, potato protein, and salmon round out the protein blend to deliver a well-rounded food with plenty of sources of protein.

Beyond protein, this food includes a healthy dose of fiber and some complex carbs in the form of blueberries and sweet potatoes. These sources of carbs can provide your pup with the energy reserves it needs to keep running, jumping and enjoying life.

There’s also a probiotic blend designed to help keep your dog’s digestive system in top shape and boost their immune system. Chondroitin and glucosamine are also present to promote joint health and mobility.

Merrick’s foods are certainly on the expensive side, and a bag of this particular food will run you about $2.28 per pound, but you can rest assured that each ingredient is working to keep your dog happy and healthy.

Pros

Ideal for active dogs

Ingredients to promote joint health

Small kibble size is ideal for Bostons

Cons

Taste of the Wild is another brand producing food with a focus on balanced nutrition for healthy dogs. From protein to healthy fats to fiber and complex carbs, Taste of the Wild provides a complete solution to your pup’s nutrition needs.

Buffalo, lamb, chicken, and peas make up the bulk of the protein blend in this food. There’s also some roasted bison, roasted venison, beef, and fish. Altogether, a whopping 32% of this food is protein.

Beyond protein, there’s plenty of complex carbs in the form of sweet potatoes, raspberries, blueberries, and tomatoes. These ingredients all provide your pup with the additional energy reserves they need to live an active life.

Taste of the Wild also includes one of the most robust probiotic and prebiotic blends on the market, which provide immunity support, promote gastrointestinal health and digestion.

The one thing that’s missing from Taste of the Wild is added nutrients for joint and eye health. However, for young, healthy Bostons, this is still one of the best and most well-rounded foods on the market.

Best Puppy Food For Boston Terriers

If you’re looking for well balanced and nutritious puppy food for your baby Boston, American Journey has you covered there, too. With the puppy blend, American Journey addresses all the needs of growing puppies as they reach maturity.

Lamb, chicken, turkey, peas, chickpeas, and fish round out the protein blend of this food. There’s also plenty of complex carbs in the form of sweet potatoes, blueberries and carrots to provide your pup with the fuel they need for their high energy outbursts.

Glucosamine and chondroitin are also included to promote healthy joints. All of the vitamins and minerals your puppy needs for healthy growth are also included.

American Journey’s adult food is among our favorite choices as the best dog food for Boston terriers, and their puppy blend is right in line with the adult formula.

Best Senior Dog Food For Boston Terriers

As dogs get older, their nutritional needs change. This is true for Boston terriers as well, and the Pure Meadow senior dog food from Canidae provides your dogs with what they need to thrive as they get older.

You won’t need a Ph.D. to understand the ingredients on this label. In fact, almost all the protein in this dog food is derived from chicken. Peas also add a bit of additional protein. At 28% protein, this dog food provides a bit less than other dog foods, which is usually perfect for aging dogs.

This food is light in the complex carb department, which is usually ideal for most older dogs. Senior dogs that still have tons of energy may benefit from food with more carbs. There’s also less fat in this food, which helps to promote a healthy weight as your dog becomes less active.

A blend of different probiotics helps aid in digestion while boosting the immune system, and there are also tons of vitamins and minerals designed to provide your older pup with everything they need to thrive, including glucosamine and chondroitin.

Pros

Lower in protein and fat – ideal for older dogs

Contains probiotics

Easy to understand ingredients

Cons

Less glucosamine and chondroitin than some other foods which contain these ingredients

The Life Protection formula from Blue Buffalo provides your senior Boston with the nutrition they need to thrive.

This food derives its protein from whitefish and Menhaden fish meal. The 24% protein is ideal for small breed senior dogs. There are complex carbs in the form of whole grains like brown rice, barley, and oatmeal, which provide your pup with plenty of energy.

Ingredients like apples, blueberries, pumpkin, and spinach help to provide more complex carbs, as well as vital vitamins and nutrients that your dog needs.

While this food blend is similar to Blue Buffalo’s other foods, they included some innovative features that are sure to make things easier for your little pup. For one, the kibble size is small, which makes it easier to chew while also promoting tartar removal.

While chondroitin is suspiciously missing, there is a healthy dose of glucosamine which helps to promote joint health, which is a must for older Boston’s.

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